The Misconception of a Knight
by Festival-Fox
Summary: The school play's premiere night was right around the corner, but when one accident leads to a troublesome idea, Boruto has to work hard to learn his part as the understudy. Sarada expresses her disdain towards him in regards to playing her lover, but secretly revels in it. Teenage modern AU.
1. Understudies

The school play's premiere night was right around the corner, but when one accident leads to a troublesome idea, Boruto has to work hard to learn his part as the understudy. Sarada expresses her disdain towards him in regards to playing her lover, but secretly revels in it. Teenage modern AU.

 **Day 1: Eyes**

* * *

"Alright guys, we have one more week before the premiere night! We need our leads up at the front." Shino-sensei directed the students to the front of the stage, all of them lining up accordingly with their scripts in hand.

The lead parts had been designated to Sarada and Inojin, who were the princess and the knight respectively. The production had been smooth sailing thus far, though there were some only slightly noticeable things that the cast needed to work on. Shino, for one, had picked up on the subtle lack of immersion in Sarada's character, where sometimes she appeared to be in love with someone else. However, the character in actuality was only in love with the knight.

After explaining their next course of action and which scenes they were going to skim over, he then directed everyone else to their respective sides of the stage, so that the actors and actresses wouldn't cross in front of each other when coming onstage to perform their roles. The only two in the scene were the princess and the knight, giving leeway to focus on Sarada's character.

"Now, Sarada, you aren't convincingly in love with the knight. If it's that hard for you to see Inojin in a romantic light, try to imagine he's a celebrity crush or something of the sorts. Try to embrace the role, as if you were the princess herself. Now, let's work on the scene where the knight confesses his love for the princess." Their sensei lifted his hand up, signalling for them to commence. Both cast their scripts aside and got into character.

Sarada eased herself onto her knees, allowing Inojin to place his head on her lap at centre-stage. Sarada stroked his hair tenderly, her expression crestfallen.

"...Xavier, there's something I have to tell you." Sarada clenched her free hand momentarily, averting her eyes to hold the suspense. Though, the audience was already well aware of what she was about to reveal.

"I-I...I'm-"

"betrothed to another. I'm well aware, your highness. News travels fast." he responded grimly, Sarada's eyes growing wide at the revelation.

"But it's been only short of an hour! H-how—"

"I apologize, my princess, but I happened to have overheard you rambling in your chambers about this matter. I'm glad you took my feelings into consideration, and I'll have you know that my heart is not broken." they sat in silence for a moment, before Inojin broke it. "I have something to tell you, as well." he sat up from his spot, moving to her side while still facing the audience, projecting his voice towards them. He took her hands into his, and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"Princess, I lo-"

Inojin's line was cut short upon hearing a deafening series of crashes originating from backstage, undoubtedly caused by several things toppling over. The crashing of objects echoed across the stage, from the sounds of clinking metal, to the thudding of wood and even the sound of something being spilled, before the stage fell into a static silence. Ten seconds later, a loud "Sorry!" came from the source of the disaster. Though the perpetrator had not revealed them self yet, enough years spent with the guy made it crystal clear who had made a mess behind the scenes, especially with that boyish, rowdy tone.

"Boruto," Sarada growled, jerking herself up from her spot. "This is important! We only have the theatre reserved for four hours today! Time's running out!" Sarada hollered across the stage and marched towards the boy, who had finally revealed himself outside of the curtains.

"It was a freak accident, I swear! I was rehearsing for my role as a shrub, but my feet started to cramp up and well...I knocked the props out of order." he scratched the back of his head, his fox-like grin emitting the sheer amount of guiltiness he failed to withhold. Shino-sensei sighed, unwilling to deal with their bickering yet again.

"J-just, go offstage and help someone practice their lines out in the hallway then. Do _something_ other than making a mess and disrupting practice." Sarada ordered, hoping that would resolve the issue of Boruto's ever growing boredom. She understood, in a sense, why he felt the urge to move about, as sitting pointlessly for lengthy periods of time was no fun for anyone. But the number of accidents he had caused while they practiced was starting to add up.

Inojin flipped his lengthy blonde ponytail over his shoulder, crossing his arms as he witnessed the exchange between his two colleagues. Really, these two were hopeless. Hopelessly in love, that is. Everyone was aware of it, except for themselves.

They may frequently bicker, but oftentimes outside of their facade of being mortal enemies, they were caught staring longingly at one another while one was conversing with someone else, and brought up their names in conversations whenever possible. Not to mention, Boruto's "accidents" were getting a little old, considering that they all seemed to happen coincidentally when they were practicing the romantic scenes.

In all honesty, he had no idea why he had been chosen as the male lead, when there were much more charming boys who could play his role, like Kagura, or even Shikadai, his close friend. And from what he could tell, the only reason Shino had put Boruto as his understudy was because he was well aware of their relationship himself, but didn't want to put up with their shenanigans in the long run.

Upon witnessing the exchange between the two, an idea stirred within his brain, his mind brewing up a storm that he was just itching to unleash. This would be far more amusing than him playing the knight, and Sarada would be a lot more invested in her character [at least he hoped]. He staked on the expectation that Boruto had been practicing his lines. Suddenly, a sinister smirk crawled its way onto his face, knowing that disaster would lie in its wake. Nonetheless, he delighted in sitting back and munching on popcorn while witnessing the messes he procured with his sharp tongue.

Inojin raised his hand and waited until he got Shino's undivided attention before speaking.. "Umm, Shino-sensei, I've been meaning to tell you something important. Can we talk privately for a moment?" Shino nodded his head warily, stress already starting to plague his mind. Normally, a student would have gotten off the stage to confide to him directly, but Inojin was rather blunt, and didn't worry over what students thought of him.

To add onto that, he was quite the convincing actor, earning himself the lead role as a result, regardless of him being a second year. Third years were normally the ones awarded the leading roles if they had at least an ounce of talent, but there were only two third years who had joined the production, albeit one of them unwillingly.

The room had fallen silent, the cast intrigued as to what Inojin was going to tell Shino-sensei, him being one of the two main leads and all.

"See, the thing is, Shino-sensei...well, my parents planned a vacation ages ago, and I only found out recently that they booked it during the two weeks the production is going on. You see, they wanted to surprise me and told me I was to come along with them as well at the last minute. I should've told you earlier, I know, but I left my parents oblivious to this whole play, since my mom tends to get a little too invested in my school activities. I think you should hand my role over to the understudy. I know for sure that I won't be able to perform." Inojin frowned, but internally, he was jumping with joy. Practices would be much more entertaining for the next week.

Shino, on the other hand, had defined creasing in his forehead upon receiving the news.

"Well, it can't be avoided then. I'll tell everyone the news." Shino cleared his throat emphatically, catching everyone's attention.

"I have some important news to tell everyone. Unfortunately, Inojin won't be able to perform his role on premier night, nor on any of the days we have to perform in front of an audience. Meaning," Shino hesitated for a second, his eyes falling to his clipboard meaninglessly. "His understudy, Boruto, will be playing the male lead." All eyes shifted towards Boruto, who was evidently gawking at the new development.

"You mean," he pointed his finger between Sarada and him, their heads swivelling at the exact same time to exchange looks of utter shock. "With her-?"

The atmosphere of horror over the announcement of the new lifeline of the production seemed to linger through the air, the cast fearing what would become of their play on such a short notice.

"We're screwed." Shikadai yelled from offstage, the words sinking into everyone's minds as they unanimously agreed with his statement.

* * *

"You are my whole universe. Without you, I'd cease to exist. And with my existence, I shall devote it to- This is too cheesy. Who wrote this sop story in the first place?" Boruto complained, earning several glares from the cast, who aimed for the practice to go by smoothly. Inojin, on the other hand, had popped himself a bag of popcorn and sat offstage in one of those plastic school chairs. His smug grin and the amused glint in his eyes screamed to everyone that he had done this for his own amusement.

"It's romantic, Boruto. Not that you would know anything about romance." Sarada scoffed, her vexation shining through.

"Pfft, I _do so_ know stuff about romance! And I'll show you who can be romantic!" he declared, oblivious the boldness of his words. A sheen of blush surfaced on Sarada's face that swiftly faded away, her focus shifting back to the scene at hand.

"A-Alright then, Mr. Romantic, _prove it_. This scene is the scene where Xavier tells the princess what he truly wanted to profess to her during the ceremony. Are you sure you practiced your lines as the understudy?" Sarada questioned, one of her brows raising from suspicion.

In the midst of their scene sorting, no one had detected Hanabi slipping into the theatre late, who happened to be assisting with the play, but who also happened to be frequently tardy.

"Oh~, what's this? My nephew's getting his time to shine?" Hanabi cooed, frightening Shino, who leaped nearly a foot away from his original spot.

"Hanabi! You were supposed to be here an hour ago." Shino stated, but his tone gave off of the vibe that he wasn't taken aback by her lateness.

"Yeah, well, some things came up and I ended up having to remark all of my class' tests. Now, what's my little nephew doing, exactly?" Hanabi put a finger on her face teasingly, her tone implying that she had already deciphered the situation. Even so, Shino decided it was best to answer her.

"Unfortunately, Inojin had something pop up for him and is now unable to play his role, so naturally, the understudy is handed the part. But the thing is," Shino motioned towards the stage, where Boruto and Sarada were arguing. "I wasn't expecting both of the leads to need an understudy."

Originally, the leading roles had been assigned to Inojin and Sumire, but Sumire had been having some family problems and had to drop out earlier on in the production. Sarada had been performing her part fairly well, though her assertive personality tended to weigh down her role as the love-struck, soft-spoken princess.

To Shino's utmost surprise, Boruto had quite the outstanding audition. Perhaps all of his theatrics in class played a key role in his exceptional acting skills. In the end, though, he decided Boruto would probably be quite the handful in the long run to work with and opted for him to receive the understudy role. In the end, though, he didn't expect this newfound development.

Boruto had performed well at the audition, but was making far too many quips about the play during their practice. Shino wasn't quite sure how to proceed, Hanabi could tell, but she had a trick up her sleeve that would surely make this play thrive.

That is, by messing with her nephew.

"Everyone, quiet down. What's the problem, Sarada?" Hanabi addressed Sarada, not failing to notice that Boruto was about to protest, though he thankfully and ultimately closed his mouth upon realizing her reasoning.

"We don't have any chemistry, and Boruto can't say his lines without putting his two cents in." she huffed, her tone indignant, her arms crossed.

Hanabi's gaze flickered between the two, silently disagreeing about their chemistry. They looked good together, she had to admit. She just needed to pull at the roots and start with the basics so that they'd have chemistry in both respects.

"Geez, this is like working with toddlers. Alright, sweeties, face each other. No, ifs, ands or buts, or else I'll be notifiying my sister about how you ruined the school play, _Boruto_." she sneered, Boruto audibly gulping.

He and Sarada hesitatingly faced one another, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before they averted their gazes, embarrassment beaming through their beet red faces at the awkwardness of the situation.

"Now, tell me what you like about the other person." she smiled, an innocent smile, though they all knew the intent behind her words. They were working with devious people these days.

"What? This isn't-" Hanabi cut them both off, their synchronization proving otherwise that they'd make quite the convincing leads, if only they put their differences aside and let their hearts roam free.

"That's not the point of this exercise. It's so you guys can get into character, sillies. Do I need to repeat myself?" she voiced sternly, her experience as a teacher evident.

Sarada breathed in, her confidence boosting as she gazed intently into Boruto's eyes, focusing on getting into her character. The princess had expressed her fascination with the knight's eyes, which wouldn't be hard for her to convey, as she sincerely thought Boruto's eyes were captivating herself.

"His eyes," she started, her tone matter-of-fact. "they're as blue and mesmerizing as the morning sky." her words were genuine, anyone could tell. The redness in Boruto's cheeks said it all. It just so happened that the knight had blue eyes as well, he knew, but that didn't stop his heart from thrumming in his chest.

"Her smile is like after the rain, yet evanescent. If only I could witness her ever so radiant smile more often, my heart would surely be stolen forevermore." he added, his character all the more convincing now that the threat Hanabi had spouted was looming over his head.

Hanabi clapped, excitement pooling in her eyes. "Good, good! Now let's have a snack break." she chimed, the tension seeming to loosen in the air.

Boruto sighed, planning to walk away before Sarada's firm grip on his wrist stopped him in his tracks.

"We've got one week before our first performance, so seeing as that is, I think we're going to need to practice outside of school." she stated, sounding as if she was making a business deal. Boruto nodded his head meekly, well aware that Sarada was the type who wanted everything to go smoothly and fretted over the littlest of things.

"I'll text you later on tonight, then." her grip loosened on his wrist, allowing him to roam free for his ten minute break. Upon arriving to clean up the mess he had made earlier out of courtesy for others, he did not expect to be met by the person he so outright loathed.

"So we're enemies in this play now, huh? How ironic." he attempted to suppress his emotions, but it was obvious that he relished over this fact. Boruto scoffed, glaring at the boy who blocked his path.

"Move it, Kawaki."


	2. Villains

"Move it, Kawaki." Boruto flashed a fierce glare, his upperclassman smirking at his display of resentment.

"Woah there, what's with the tone? You're acting like I _planned_ to be put on this side of the stage. It's just small talk, you dumbass." he reasoned, but Boruto wasn't buying it. Kawaki undeniably came to confront him and prod at his misfortune.

"I'm in no mood to speak to you, asshole. Though I'm sure you're well aware of that, since that's always the case." his tone was sharp, on the verge of threatening. Yet, it only seemed to fuel Kawaki's ego.

"I look forward to killing you off in the play, then. I'm sure our spite will be very convincing." Kawaki sneered, seeing himself out on that note. Boruto glared daggers at his back for a good moment, before crouching down to clean up the mess he had left earlier.

The cleanup had been fairly easy, only needing to prop swords up against the wall and turning wood painted backgrounds upright, until he began to stare blankly at the stream of water leaking from a sideways, uncapped water bottle.

"Need some help?" a familiar voice chimed, his head instinctively turning towards the source. There, Sarada stood, with a roll of paper towels and a charming smile, leaving him bemused at her gesture.

"Really?" Boruto stood up, reaching for the paper towels that Sarada had went out of her way to get for him.

"Well, I would've preferred to use a real towel to wipe this up, but schools aren't really known for having those easily accessible," one of her arms gripped the other across her chest, the other hanging loosely at her side."Oh also, think of this as a...reconciliation of the sorts. I thought it through, about how there's a whole lot weighing down on your shoulders as a last minute stand in for the lead role, and honestly, I think I've been a bit too harsh about it. Sorry." Her eyes remained downcast, her timid nature shining through. Then, her eyes shot up, reverting back to her usual no-nonsense attitude in a flash.

"-Oh! Don't think of this as me liking you as the new lead, just so you know. I'm still not happy about this whole thing." she assured, though her apology had lessened the blow.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." he grinned, rolling the paper towel around his arm a few times before ripping it off of the roll. Sarada watched Boruto stiffly while he wiped up the water, not quite sure what to say next. Then, it suddenly hit her.

"How about we meet up at that burger joint you frequent after practice? For coffee, that is. So we'll feel energized enough to practice our lines." Sarada gripped the sides of her shirt anxiously, the lack of response beginning to worry her. She knew it sounded like she was asking him on a date and only hoped he didn't get the wrong idea.

Boruto got up from his crouching position, placed the soaked paper towels in the garbage nearby and turned to her, returning the roll. "Sure, that's fine. Also, I'd put the paper towels away myself, but I don't know where you got them from, y'know." he scratched the back of his head, his signature, cheeky, fox-like grin spreading out on his face. It was just too cute for Sarada to withhold the flushing in her cheeks. To her relief, he hadn't noticed.

"Sounds good, then. The next scene we're practicing is the one Inojin and I had been performing at the beginning of practice, just so you know. Don't make any snide remarks this time around, okay?" Sarada hoped the words would get through to him, considering the amount of time they had wasted away over Boruto's lack of empathy for the knight and the script as a whole. She found it rather corny herself, but action romances were often a hit with the audiences.

"Alright, alright, I understand. Besides, I wouldn't want to anger my aunt. The Hyuga bloodline is not one to be trifled with." he shuddered at that thought, remembering an incident where he had made his younger sister furious. He did not want to revisit that scenario.

With that confirmation, even if it was a flimsy promise, Sarada headed off towards her friend Chocho, who had unsurprisingly pulled out a bag of potato chips to snack on during the break. He watched her as her friend offered her some chips, Sarada seeming all the more gleeful with her companion as she reached into the bag and took a few out for herself. Then, she pointed to the roll of paper towel. Chocho still clung to her bag of potato ships, but tagged along behind her best friend, setting off to most likely return them to where they belonged. They did this, all while having smiles plastered on their faces.

He only wished she'd be more laid back and behaved like herself around him as well. Sometimes, it felt as if there was a brick wall dividing them. Throughout the many years he had spent with her, it felt as if he had only successful removed a few bricks, leaving him unable to reach her, the _real_ her.

" _Her smile is like after the rain, yet evanescent. If only I could witness her ever so radiant smile more often, my heart would surely be stolen forevermore,_ huh?" he mused. Baffled by his quoting of the play, he smacked his cheeks repeatedly with his hands and shook his head. There was _no way_ he was empathizing with the knight who ripped out love lines from a poetry book.

It took Boruto a good minute to combat his thoughts, deciding that getting a water bottle from the vending machine would be best to clear his mind.

"Stupid, cheesy play," he muttered, pulling some loose change out of his jacket and inserting it into the vending machine, clicking on a random letter and number and waiting for it to fall off the rack. The water bottle fell to the bottom of the machine with a clunk. He yanked it out, quickly unfastened the cap and chugged it whole.

"Someone's thirsty." a lilted voice pointed out, startling Boruto.

"Mitsuki," he started, crunching the water bottle in his hands and chucking it in the garbage from where he was standing. "didn't you say you wouldn't be able to make it to practice today?" It surprised Boruto, considering how Mitsuki latched onto him at school and blatantly told him that the only reason he joined the play was to tag along with him.

 _I'm having a lot of run ins today_ , Boruto thought, not yet having a decent length of time to himself. Mitsuki gave him a knowing look, divulging just exactly why he had showed up without needing to utter a word.

"So, you've heard that I'm Inojin's replacement and couldn't help yourself from coming to practice." he surmised, well aware that Mitsuki would often appear out of the blue upon hearing good news regarding him.

"Well, there's that, but I'm looking forward to seeing you and Sarada together." a smile grew on his face, all his good intentions crystal clear. Boruto knew that his friend was rather keen on shipping the two of them together. It bothered him from time to time, but he'd grown so used to it over the years that he was immune to Mitsuki's teasing.

"Ah, is that so? Well, practice has been a bust so far, so enjoy watching us struggle." Boruto patted his shoulder, gazing at the clock and realizing that his fifteen minute break was nearly over.

Mitsuki followed close behind, eager to witness their unstable, yet entertaining practice. At least Inojin was having a hoot.

* * *

"One cappuccino and an iced black tea, please." Sarada ordered for the two of them, whilst Boruto was seated adjacently to her.

While she was ordering, his eyes were fixated on her face, noticing that there was something different about it that he had not picked up on beforehand under the theater lighting. Perhaps she changed the parting of her bangs, or maybe she had swapped her red frames out for a new pair. Whatever it was, he couldn't put his finger on it. As soon as she was done ordering, he swiveled his head towards the window, his eyes skimming over the mass of cars outside.

"So," Sarada began, catching Boruto's attention. "it looks like you can use the costume that was initially prepared for Inojin." she fiddled with her satchel, lifting it over her head and settling it on the seat, right on her hip.

"That's good." he murmured, his eyes travelling back to her face to see just what was so off-putting about it.

Sarada tapped her fingers on the table awkwardly, now taking her turn to gaze pointlessly outside. After a minute of painful silence, she could still feel the heat of Boruto's gaze on her, the mere thought of him staring for so long wrenching at her heart. What was he doing?

"Umm, what is it? Is there something on my face?" she tilted her head off to the side innocently, the words bringing him back to a memory that had been long abandoned in the back of his mind.

* * *

 _He was on his way home from his first week of middle school, when he could just barely discern the sound of a girl sobbing, a creaky swing swaying like a broken clock pendulum. Concerned, his footsteps hastened, until the one girl he least expected to see was in his field of vision._

 _There, on the swing, with the orange-hued sunset contrasting against her back, was Sarada Uchiha, the girl notorious for refusing to express her true feelings in front of others. It was this day that he had removed a single brick from the wall imposed between them._

" _Are you here to make fun of me too, idiot?" she choked back a sob, removing her red rimmed glasses to wipe the tears away. Boruto couldn't help but feel apprehensive in this situation, but didn't want his friend to feel all the more down. Even if he was unaware of what exactly had made her cry, it wasn't in his nature to leave a crying girl alone, no matter how uncomfortable it made him feel._

" _No." he muttered, leisurely making his way onto the swing parallel to hers. She sniffled, still attempting to wipe away all traces of tears from her face, though ultimately failing as more continued to leak from her eyes._

" _Boys are idiots,"she murmured, clenching her glasses within her hands. "the lot of them."_

 _Boruto had grown used to her saying that, but this time, she sounded dead serious. Thinking about what had caused her to be so disheveled, he bit his lower lip, digging through his mind to find out what would make her feel better. He wasn't the best at regulating someone's emotions, but it wouldn't hurt to try._

" _Yeah, and I don't quite get girls either, but," he spun his swing towards her, his feet planted in the gravel to hold it firmly in place. "we all have times where we should let our emotions out." he smiled, a quaint smile that didn't showcase his teeth._

 _Sarada lifted her gaze up, her dark eyes wondrous and her thick lashes weighted down with tears. With one last swipe, her tear stained face lacked fresh ones, and she propped her glasses back on the bridge of her nose, sliding them up to their regular position. She sniffled, but she didn't shed anymore tears in front of him that day._

" _I don't get why those boys would bully you, you're fine the way you are. If you ever need protecting, just come look for me. I'll be there for you so those boys won't bother you anymore." he vowed, earning an awestruck expression from the raven haired girl._

 _The girl continued to admire his side profile, noticing that he seemed all the more chivalrous than he had made himself out to be, as the troublemaker of the class. It dawned on her that the boy she had labelled as a brat was not who she thought he was. Lost in thought, she he had not noticed that he had caught her staring. Her heart leaped from her chest, his radiant eyes alight and his brows furrowed._

" _What is it? Is there something on my face?" his blue eyes caught the light of the sunset, complimentary to the orange of the sky. She couldn't help but see him as someone beautiful that day._

" _N-no, it's nothing." she smiled, her mood altered for the better._

* * *

"D-did you change something about your look?" he wondered. Sarada's quizzical expression made him doubt his intuition, inclining him to regret being so upfront and direct with his question. Before she could respond however, their drinks arrived. The contents were piping hot, yet smelled delectable. Sarada took a whiff of her tea, much preferring it over getting a coffee. It was her favourite drink, after all. She'd been so caught up with the scent of her tea that it took her a minute to realize that she'd left Boruto hanging.

"Not intentionally if that's the case, but maybe it's my hair? It's slightly longer than I'd typically keep it." she lifted up a section of her black locks and examined them. Boruto finally noticed, too, that her hair fell just a bit past her shoulders, when she had kept it above her shoulders for most of her life. They were in high school, he supposed, which was a time of drastic changes to themselves. Even he had opted to cut his hair a bit shorter than he'd ever had it.

"I-I see. It looks nice." he commented. Sarada's face flushed crimson, her hands beginning to play with the strands of her hair. Boruto had never complimented her, at least not in regards to her looks, so hearing it from him personally had made her heart swell.

It took Boruto a good moment to register what he had just uttered, his face flushing in turn.

It wouldn't take a genius to tell that the two of them appeared to be in love, but were lodged in that stage where they thought, " _I'd confess, but I don't know if they like me back."_

Sarada cleared her throat, changing the topic altogether.

"So, about practicing outside of school..."


	3. Princesses

"Thank you for the drive." Sarada's face was illuminated with elation at the sight of Boruto's mother, who oftentimes possessed a maternal warmth to her. Sarada tugged her satchel up over her head and propped it up on the far-end passenger seat, settling herself in the nearest one to the passenger door. Boruto, on the other hand, opted for the front seat.

"No problem, Sarada. Himawari's glad she gets to see you again!" her thoughts flitted towards Boruto's younger sister, a girl she hadn't seen in a good four years. The last time she saw her, her hair was cropped and her clothing colours corresponded to her bright and gleeful personality. She adored Himawari, and despite Boruto's demeanour towards others, he treated his sister like she was a bonafide princess.

Boruto's door thudded shut and he fastened his seat belt. Once his mom heard an audible click, she drove away from the cafe. As Sarada's eyes fixated on the elapsing scenery, the said boy began to occupy her thoughts.

They had only made stale small-talk before his mother arrived. Both had been idly sipping away at their drinks, inspecting their scripts without uttering a single word.

Sarada had already memorized all her lines but just the thought of him being there as her co-star, someone who provoked her heart to thrum in her chest without a hitch, rather than someone who she held no affection for had her brain whirling. There wasn't a logical reason as to why he'd be capable of affecting her heart in this manner when he was such a rowdy, brash, arrogant, stupid idiot...nonetheless, he possessed a heart of gold, could be mature at times when it mattered, had a charming smile, and the most beautiful, captivating eyes-

 _No, Sarada, stop,_ she voiced inside her head. She couldn't let this idiot claim her heart and consume her thoughts, out of all the living humans on Earth.

Her mind then wandered to the fact that worst of all, she had no idea how her parents were going to react.

She then rejoined the present, a genuine smile presenting itself on her face. "Of course! I'm excited to see Himawari, too. I hope she's been doing well?" Sarada inquired, catching a glimpse of Hinata's lilac irises in the rearview mirror.

"Himawari's doing splendidly. After hearing the news about the play, she's been especially eager to see you two in action." Hinata teased, meriting blushes from the two involved. Sarada couldn't help it, regardless. It was without a doubt embarrassing to rehearse exclusively with your fake lover in a play, whether you harboured feelings for them or not. Since she was well acquainted with the Uzumakis though and time was ticking away, she knew that she had no other choice but to practice with him diligently so that the play wouldn't end up being a massive train wreck.

"Mom, don't be so embarrassing!" Boruto whined, earning a gentle snicker from his mom.

* * *

"Saradaaaa!" as soon as she sauntered through the door, she was enveloped in a hug by a girl, about the same height as her, with extensive dark purple hair and a sugary sweet, yet pleasant voice. Without a doubt, she knew the voice belonged to Himawari.

"Hima!" Sarada reciprocated the hug, ecstatic to see Boruto's little sister.

"It's been so long! When you stopped hanging out with my brother, I thought something might've happened between the two of you," she glanced between them, before continuing. "I'm glad you guys are now together as a couple!" she cheered, Sarada's mind instantly filling up with question marks. Within a second, Sarada swivelled her head in the blond's direction, who also stared quizzically at his sister. She was about to express her thoughts, but Boruto chimed in.

"Ummm, Hima, I hate to burst your bubble but, we aren't together. We're just acting, is all." Boruto clarified, yet Himawari seemed to be confounded, slackening her embrace and letting her hands fall to her sides.

"But brother, I thought that-"

"Okay, Hima! We're running on a tight schedule now, so we've gotta go and practice. Yeah." Boruto clasped his hand around Sarada's, hurriedly guiding her upstairs to his bedroom.

"We're going to go practice now mom." Boruto had a blatantly synthetic smile plastered on his face, but Hinata was too busy taking off her shoes to witness it. She merely nodded.

Sarada found their conversation peculiar, but what she found even odder was that Boruto wasn't bothered by his current action. ' _OhmygodIcan'tgointohisroomatthisageit'sweird,'_ the words raced in her thoughts, splicing together to create a befuddled blob of nonsense.

Sarada unwound her hand from his, prompting Boruto to tilt his head downwards in her direction mid-step.

"Don't you think it'd be weird to go up to your room?" she clutched her hand anxiously to her chest, her eyes not leaving his.

"It's only weird if you make it weird, Sarada." his grin was brazen, his youthfulness pouring from his tone. She wasn't certain if he got what it often entailed, yet somehow felt reassured by him. No funny business, just practice.

Sarada could scarcely hear Himawari chatting with her mom as they made their way upstairs, murmuring something about Boruto and the play.

When they entered his room, she noticed it was revamped, although to a lesser degree. None of his previous posters were pinned to his walls, leaving behind tack marks, while his bookshelves were cleared off and the only new possession in his room was his laptop. It almost appeared too bland, as if his room would produce a resounding echo if you dared to speak. As to why he didn't bother to decorate it, she had no clue. The only thing she knew was that people can change over time. Without you even realizing it, their flames kindled a different colour.

Before she knew it, Boruto was taller than her, albeit only by a few centimetres, and as she had observed him ascend the stairs, she remarked that his shoulders were broader, no longer retaining the stature of a little boy on the playground anymore. It felt uncanny to be back at his home again, after the handful of years they spent only interacting at school. It felt...nice.

She finally realized that her thoughts had begun to drift again and within a split second, Boruto had plopped down on his bed, scanning the script meticulously.

Irresolutely, she regarded the subtle furrowing of his brows, to the soft, dense lashes framing his sharper eyes, that weren't as rounded as they were when he was younger. He was different, outlandish traits unveiling themselves before her. She only realized that she, in turn, was scrutinizing a bit too much when his eyes lifted to meet hers, mortification filling to the brim of her soul. Hastily, she regained her composure and spoke.

"Let's start with scene one. Where they first meet," she commenced, flipping her script past the index, from the roles to the first scene.

Boruto had the first line after her father [played by Shikadai] decrees that Xavier will be her appointed knight. He cleared his throat, then began to verbalize the lines.

"Your majesty, it's my greatest honour to-"

"I don't need to be protected. Go find another princess to protect, sir...Xander?" she lifted a brow at Boruto, inspecting the knight who kept his face hidden by his non-existent bulky helmet. Sarada had cast her script aside, but Boruto kept a firm grip on the script in his hands, his eyes skimming over his lines. She understood since he hadn't been acting anything out up until this point.

"Xavier, your majesty." he corrected, pressing his lips together, all while remaining composed.

"Yes, Xavier. You see, I like to keep to myself, and having someone constantly at my side as a guard dog is not something I'm all too fond of. I, therefore, dismiss you." she ordered. Nevertheless, the knight didn't budge from his spot.

"My apologies, your highness, but the king, your father, begs to differ. The neighbouring country has been threatening war and has even threatened to assassinate both you and your father. I'm afraid you'll need to heed your father's decree." a playful smirk began to creep up onto Boruto's face, puzzling Sarada to no end. It wasn't until her line that followed that she interrupted their scene.

"What's so funny?" she pouted, crossing her arms. Before responding, Boruto set his script on his bed.

"It's just...she's so much like you!" he clutched his sides as he burst into a fit of dramatized laughter.

"She is not!" she protested, raising her voice.

"Is so!"

"Not!"

"Not!"

"Is so!" she fumbled, instantly realizing her mistake. He grinned victoriously, pumping his fists in the air. That's it, she's back to hating this immature dork. She never thought she'd be caught by that trick, and boy did it hurt her pride.

"Okay then, how?" she leaned forward, refusing to avert her eyes away from his.

"It's simple; you're both stubborn." she was aware she could be stubborn and ironically persisted.

"Then, that must be where the line ends?" Boruto shook his head.

"You're also both proud. And act like princesses. Well, in this case, she is a princess, you're...an Uchiha."

Ah yes, her dad was rather refined, formal and very princely. So of course, some of his traits would translate over to his daughter. She wasn't all too fond of being called a princess, though. Plus, even if the princess was proud at the start of the story, it didn't last all too long before shit hit the fan.

"Haha, very funny. Let's continue, Xander." she teased, a spark igniting in his gaze.

"It's Xavier, your majesty." he played along, picking up his script anew.

And when her mind settled on the thought of continuing, she was dumbfounded by how it only occurred to her then that she'd have to kiss Boruto. Not once, not twice, but threefold. Once for the confession of love, a delicate yet cherishable kiss and another time at the time of death, a tear-filled kiss that she'd be the only one to initiate.

Then, the one she dreaded above all, the lustful, passionate kiss that was bound to make the audience feel tense and uncomfortable. The one where she says she wants him and only him, not her fiance. Now, she'd have to do this not only in front of her _parents_ but his entire family as well, the family that had housed her when both of her parents were busy with work.

Sarada's face burned, however, Boruto was oblivious her current, dishevelled state of mind. He resumed reading the script.

"Your majesty, I cannot refuse the king's orders. I'm required to be by your side, though I'll be outside of your chambers at night, rest assured. I won't ever bring harm to you and I'll protect you well." his voice was unusually mellow, coming from him. He was playing his part well already. No wonder Shino-sensei left him as Inojin's understudy.

She wouldn't admit it to him, but as they continued to rehearse the lines until Hinata called them down for supper, she thought he'd make the perfect knight.


	4. Accomplices

He didn't want to outright state it, but Boruto wasn't ignorant to how Sarada seamlessly evaded practicing any of the scenes involving or even mentioning kissing while they rehearsed the lines.

He was taken aback a bit by Sarada stepping around the problem instead of facing it head on, but nonetheless, he knew he had to be the one to address the problem at hand. And so, he sent her a text a bit before bed.

Boruto: Pssst, Sarada!

It took Sarada a good twenty minutes to respond.

Sarada: What?

His phone made a ding, illuminating his leaden shaded room. Rolling over in his bed and allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright light, he was as blunt as possible.

Boruto: you know we're going to have to kiss in this play, right?

She left him on read for another five minutes. Astonishingly, she gave him the simplest answer she could conjure up.

Sarada: Yes.

He shouldn't have expected another answer in all honesty. What was she going to say? "Yeah, do you want to practice?" or, "We're absolutely not doing that?" He knew that she was the type, for the most part, to play by the rules, so he ruled out the second response, though it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. Like most times, though, he knew it was a lot easier to address these problems online rather than in real life, where trepidation ran rampant.

Now, _Boruto_ was the one to hit a sturdy wall. What was _he_ supposed to say? "We need to practice." or, "Ok."? Yeah, like those responses will help. Either response would lead to him dying from embarrassment. So, like the genius he is at solving problems, he left it at that and fell asleep.

* * *

Morning comes and he feels an overwhelming wave of exhaustion overtake him. He didn't sleep well last night, at all. The root of the cause was indisputably because of him agonizing over the whole Sarada kissing problem. He wasn't going to leap over the hurdle in a snap, that's for sure.

First things first: breakfast. Eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes. Since he had accidentally woken up early, he made the breakfast for his family, save for his dad, who was already at work, probably with stacks of paperwork at hand. Poor guy.

His family then rose with the smell of sizzled bacon, his mom boring an appreciative smile. Himawari decided she'd be the one to clear the table for them afterwards as thanks.

Afterwards, he got dressed in his everyday attire, brushed his hair then teeth, gathered his lunch and schoolwork into his backpack and finally headed out the door to walk to school. The only thought on his mind while he strolled was the play and Sarada.

When he got to school, hushed murmurs made the atmosphere tense. Eyes followed him down the hallway, but even with the intense air going on, he was oblivious to this fact, his mind wandering to how he should address Sarada at school and trying to remember exactly what time she arrived.

"Ah, young sir, I've been looking all over for you!" the man was panting, his hands on his knees while one of them clutched a clipboard.

"Katasuke sensei!" Boruto's face illuminated with a grin. This man, albeit on the eccentric side, always treated Boruto respectfully and was a kind soul.

"I have your costume ready for you to try on. It may be a bit on the hefty side and I had to make some alterations so you could be heard through the helmet, but it's all set to go!" he beamed, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he flashed him a hearty smile.

Boruto had no idea that Katasuke was working behind the scenes on his costume, so he just smiled and nodded as he followed him to the classroom.

"I hooked up a mic in the helmet so that the audience can hear you. Also, the helmet was on the heavy side, so I shaved off some of the unnecessary parts. Try it on with the rest of your costume and all, I'm sure you'll love it!" his voice evoked a truck load of enthusiasm. The man took pride in all of his work, even if it ended up completely and utterly defective.

 _Well, here goes nothing,_ Boruto thought.

It took him a few minutes to get all of his apparel on, but when he took in his appearance in the mirror, he was taken aback by how akin to a knight he appeared to be. The outfit must have cost a fortune from the looks of it. Even so, he was sure that the department didn't have _that much_ funding, even with people like his dad sponsoring the school programs.

"How much did this cost?" he asked curtly while lifting his visor, still in awe at his whole getup.

"It was pretty inexpensive, actually. You just have to make the best of the materials you have, is all!" he chortled.

"You're amazing sensei!" Boruto grinned. In the midst of their conversation, another person hastily made their way into the classroom before stopping abruptly in their tracks when they caught a glimpse of Boruto in his costume.

"Wow, y-you really look like a knight!" Boruto recognized that voice, but couldn't pinpoint it until he spun around to see a bundle of purple.

"Ah, hello class rep!" he beamed, glad to see that his friend seemed to be doing better. She must've returned to school pretty recently, because he hadn't caught wind of news of her returning yet.

Sumire looked him up and down, examining his costume from a closer proximity.

"Katasuke-sensei is quite amazing, isn't he? I can't believe he threw this all together!" Boruto swished his black cape around like a little kid getting ready for Halloween who marveled in their costume. Sumire giggled at his antics, her laughter a sweet lull that immediately drew Sarada into the room when she happened to notice Boruto with _a girl_.

* * *

Apparently, Sarada didn't enter quietly enough, because both figures spun around when she entered the room. To her utmost relief, it was Sumire.

Sarada eyes quickly skimmed over Boruto's costume. Even with how in awe she was at his appearance, she witheld any emotions from seeping through, fearing that it would invoke a conversation about their texts last night. Instead, she averted her gaze to the the girl with long tendrils of violet hair, adorning a sweet smile.

"Ah, Sarada-chan, I was looking for you! I asked for your costume to be altered awhile back, so it should be arriving anytime now. Fingers crossed." Sumire approached her, scrolling through her phone in hand. It took her a good thirty seconds to pull up an image of her dress, and when she finally laid eyes on it, she couldn't help her jaw from dropping.

"That's," Sarada stopped speaking for a moment to take it all in. "beautiful! Who designed it?" she inquired, clutching the phone as she zoomed in on the detailing in the photo.

"Ah, her name is Tenten, if I recall correctly. She gave me a huge discount so it's not nearly as expensive as it should be."

"I-T-thank you! I had no clue you were the one making arrangements for my dress, even with everything you had going on. I do hope everything's ok with you now." Sarada placed a hand on Sumire's shoulder, flashing her a look of concern. Sumire gave her a meek smile, then nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah, everything's okay now." Sumire's voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking, but Sarada didn't want to pry at something that wasn't her business unless Sumire wanted to bring it up herself. She removed her hand from Sumire's shoulder, not trusting in the girl's words but trusting in Sumire's decision to keep it confidential.

Meanwhile, Boruto was talking animatedly with Katasuke sensei in the background, exuding a particular pride in how he felt in his newfound costume.

In a split second, Sumire changed the subject back to the topic at hand.

"Shino-sensei was initially going to search for a costume, but with his...questionable fashion choices, Hanabi-sensei pulled some strings and insisted that she be the one to find a costume. That is, one to my liking." with all of the intricate floral detailing and overall lady-like elegance to the dress, it didn't surprise her that she would pick out a dress of this beautified caliber.

"This costume was originally supposed to be mine, but I brought it back to her shop and told her about you being the replacement. It should arrive tomorrow, but if not, here's Tenten's business card. Oh and also," Sumire leaned over to position her mouth next to Sarada's ear. "You're a lucky one." she leaned back into her standard position and winked, exiting without taking a single glance back at her. Sarada's brows furrowed, more confused than ever. What had she been referring to?

Taking one last look at Boruto and settling the business card in her pocket, she left without another word, unaware of the fleeting glance he had too given her.

* * *

 _The princess took off the knight's helmet, revealing his appearance for the audience to see. But in this very moment, this rare revelation was reserved for her, his beloved who he had entrusted with finally settling her eyes on his true visage._

 _"I didn't want you to see how unsightly I was, your highness. This scar- it was your fiance who caused it, I regret to inform you. His betrayal stings, but the thought of him taking you as his bride and-and tainting you.." he grit his teeth and clenched his fist, seething with anger._

 _"It's okay, my knigh-Xavier. I will not take him as my husband. I have more wealth and land to my name than he does now. I'll break off the engagement and we can live happily-"_

 _"We can't, your majesty! I'm just a simple commoner who had been appointed as a knight, I have no money nor land to my name. My family's perished, but even so...I love you so much, my lady-you mean the world to me! That's why I don't want to bring you down with me. We cannot be together." he broke apart from her hold, but it wasn't long before she fastened her grip on him and tugged him in her direction._

 _Their faces were mere centimeters apart._

 _"Even if I have to topple the hierarchy itself, I will not give up on you, Xavier. I want you, and only you." she pulled his face down to her level and pressed her lips firmly against his, her hands receding from his jaw and combing into his silky blond locks. In a haste, he reciprocated, cupping her face in his hands. Longingly, they deepened the kiss, before pulling apart as they heard people fastly approaching._

"And now you know why I can't even imagining doing these scenes with Boruto of all people." Sarada affirmed, but Chocho was drawn in by the script, reading further and further until Sarada had no choice but to rip it from her grip when she ignored Sarada for the seventh time.

Chocho sighed. "It's not that bad, Sarada. Actors do all sorts of embarrassing things on screen all the time, it's no different from that. Do we think differently of the actors? Not really, for the most part. Especially the handsome ones-those ones look good no matter what they're doing." she descended into another dreamlike state. Sarada didn't have the ability to conjure an image of what Chocho could possibly be fantasizing about and she wouldn't even bother to try.

"You don't get it, Chocho. I don't like him that way, and it's just so cheesy! He was right, this script is way too flowered up." she was exasperated to the core, glaring menacingly at the script before her.

Chocho grabbed a handful of chips and shoved them into her mouth, waiting to gobble them down before responding. "As they say, you can't keep a lady waiting. But in this case, you're both hopeless. You signed up for the role, Sarada. Now you just have to deal with consequences." Chocho pointed out, but Sarada shook her head profusely.

"Actually, I didn't even sign up for the role. I wanted a simple speaking part just to add to my scholarship applications, so I tried out, but I wasn't expecting to get the understudy role of the lead! Not to mention that of course, both the understudies are now the leads?! What are the odds of that?" she fumed, taking it upon herself to have a seat in one of the school lounge chairs.

Chocho hummed until she finally found the words to say. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure Inojin dropped out of the role purposely. He knows how you two are, plus..." Chocho bit her lip, sealing them firmly as if she said too much. Sarada scrutinized her friend for any remote signs of guilt, but that didn't quite seem to be the case.

"What is it?" Sarada probed. Chocho bit her lips even tighter and shook her head.

"Chocho..." she intoned, approaching the girl with her arms folded crossly in front of her. She leaned in, noticing specks of sweat dribbling down Chocho's neck.

"Nuh uh, I can't reveal a lady's secrets! I've been sworn to secrecy!" Chocho's voice was high-pitched, her nerves spiking as her friend casted her a menacing glare.

"Try me." Sarada smirked, a challenging glint ever so present in her eyes. Chocho gulped. Sarada knew she was scary when it boiled down to it.

Chocho distractingly threw her bag of chips across the room and before she knew it, she heard the girl yell, "Yo, pasty boy catch!" the chip bag soared across the room and straight into the boy's hands. To be precise, _Mitsuki's_ hands. Not a surpising accomplice, but he was also an unwitting one judging by his blank stare. However, when Sarada spun around to ask Chocho why she did that, it was too late to realize that it was a diversion and that Chocho had narrowly escaped Sarada's wrath. Even Mitsuki was gone when she looked back. Unwitting or not, she'd have to get Mitsuki back for that one.

For the umpteenth time that day, she sighed. But, now she knew that Chocho and Inojin had something to hide. To what degree of importance that secret was remained to be unseen, but she'd dig it up one way or another.

Shoving her script into her bag, she made her way to her locker, a searing determination to get rid of the kissing scenes fueling her motivation for the day.

* * *

 **This chapter is largely unedited, primarily because I wanted to finally get it out. Sorry for the nearly 3 month wait. I have been busy, but I also was kind of stuck for a bit on this chapter and had to rewrite it a good four or five times. Alas, I've finally gotten it written down! I do have some of the ending written down for this story, I just need to progress to that point is all. Thanks for reading, the next update should definitely be in a shorter time frame!**


	5. Tailors

Sarada swore she almost had a heart attack when she set foot on stage.

There was a dress rehearsal, and _no one_ told her about it.

It was difficult, to say the least, to get past all the groups of people who were rehearsing their lines while in costume. Lowering her head and evading any eye contact with the cast members, she managed to make it through to a clearing. Peering around, she couldn't help but feel her blood boil when her eyes landed on her co-star and his rather smug expression.

" _Hmm?_ You didn't know today was a dress rehearsal, Sarada?" his eyes glinted mischievously. Sarada's nails dug into the palms of her hands, glaring daggers at Boruto with as much vexation as she could possibly conjure up.

"And no one told me about today's dress rehearsal because-?" Sarada's fists unclenched themselves and rested at her hips, her voice laced with a lingering venom daring him to test the waters. Sarada hated disorganization, and for her to be the only prime example of it today was completely out of the question.

"Relax, Sarada, we're just kidding with ya', y'know. It was a last-minute thing. I think the class rep actually got your costume for you, so there are no worries. It's in the dressing room." he winked. Sarada's face bored a meek smile at Sumire's kind gesture; it was always great to have a friend you can rely on, even if it was uncalled for.

Sarada peered around the stage crew to see if Sumire happened to be around to thank her, but she saw no sign of the girl with violet hair. Even so, she would thank her graciously for her help at a later date.

Getting through the bustling cast members handling and fixing misplaced props while simultaneously hollering at each other was an arduous task, but when she finally managed to make it to the serene haven of her dressing room, she couldn't help but relish in the static silence as soon as the door clicked shut.

 _Just three more days until showtime,_ Sarada thought. She knew that for the show to dazzle without a hitch, she'd have to stop being fussy and suck it up; she was going to have to kiss Boruto, regardless of what she did or did not want to do. That was the fact she had to face yesterday when she was so vehemently determined to approach Shino sensei about the subject.

* * *

 _"We have to get rid of the kissing scenes, Shino-sensei!" Shino nearly lept up from his chair, coffee spilling down the sides of his mug as Sarada splayed her hands on the desk with a bit more force than intended._

 _"You should knock first, Sarada." Even with his advisory, she ignored him and continued on._

 _"The kissing scenes, we need to get rid of them," she repeated, enunciating the first three words carefully so he understood her request._

 _"I'm afraid I don't know what the problem is. You had no qualms about these scenes a week ago." he pointed out. Sarada gulped and tensed, aware that what he said was indeed true. It was painfully obvious why she wanted them removed._

 _"W-well, I thought about it, and I think we should keep the show PG. These kisses are-well, a b-bit, you know," Sarada twiddle her thumbs, her cheeks flushing as she thought about a certain kissing scene in particular._

 _"I understand. We can tone them down." Her sensei took note of it on one of his sticky notes, but he could tell Sarada wouldn't be satisfied._

 _"W-wait! W-we aren't going to remove them?" she stammered, her eyes wide. Shino sensei peered up at his student, who was a panicked mess._

 _"No, we're not. I don't see a problem with the kissing scenes unless Boruto has done something to make you uncomfortable?" he folded his hands, raising his brows inquisitively._

 _Sarada gripped the sides of her shirt and kept her eyes downcast, evading her teacher's gaze._

 _She was taken aback that her sensei refused to remove the kisses, so much so that she almost forgot to answer the question._

 _"No, he hasn't, I was just worried about the audience. That's all," she muttered, refusing to look up at her sensei and be caught in her web of lies._

 _"Very well, then. I'll make sure that the scenes are toned down." He concluded. Sarada nodded, leaving the room with all that pent up determination left behind. Sarada's shoulders slumped; she hated this. Nevertheless, she knew she had to let it be and lifted her chin up, not letting such a minor thing make her falter. Mark her words, they would make this play work._

 _Meanwhile, Shino felt bad about refusing Sarada's request, but Hanabi insisted that they'd be ok._

 _He hoped._

* * *

She never thought that she would see the day where she would somewhat willingly kiss the blond. If it were any other scenario, there was no way she would kiss the idiot...right? _Pffft, of course, I would never do that, not in a million years,_ she bluffed, heat rising into her cheeks at the mere thought of it. Sure, he may have become what society would deem as attractive over the years, but that didn't mean she had to think of him that way, mhm!

Sarada smacked her cheeks repeatedly, followed by shaking her head until she began to see stars. _Focus!_ She chanted, scanning the room for the garment bag that contained her costume. A smile broke out across her face when she spotted what she was looking for, even if she was impervious to the contents of the said bag.

When she pulled the bag off of the armchair positioned next to her dressing table, her excitement overtook her as she unzipped the bag in one swift motion, revealing a red, ruffled gown with an abundance of layers and clustered faux roses.

It took her breath away.

This had to be one of the finest dresses she had ever laid eyes upon, even if it was a costume. Akin to Boruto's costume, surely this had cost the school a fortune? From the intricacies of the details to the hand-sewn beads, the dress could without a doubt pass as an authentic ball gown.

As complex as the dress appeared to be on the outside, it was just as complex when it came to putting it on, so much so that she had to beckon someone through the crack of the door for help. Fortunately, Chocho had been passing by at an immaculate time.

Sarada spun around to face Chocho, gripping her arm firmly. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, awaiting her friend's response. Eventually, her gaze flitted upwards, startled by the uninhibited width of her eyes.

"Wow, Sarada, you look...amazing." Chocho gawked, fastening the sash around Sarada's waist in a perfect bow. It was a blessing to have Chocho around when Sarada was what the fashion police would describe as fashion-challenged. For her best friend, it was a cinch.

"If he wasn't already, I'm sure Boruto will for sure be in love with you now!" Chocho grinned, eliciting a scowl from her friend.

"Boruto this, Boruto that...Chocho, I've told you a thousand times already, I'm not in love with Boruto!" she affirmed, but something was telling her that they were _both_ unconvinced by the statement. She knew her parents had often told her that she was the stubborn type, but to this extent...there had to be a limit to her denial.

"You're really something, Sarada," Chocho smirked, her arms crossed over though seemingly in a contemptuous manner, it bordered on complacent as if Chocho knew something that Sarada didn't know.

"Pfft, whatever, Chocho. I don't feel anything for Boruto. If anything, whenever I see his stupid face, I feel aggravated! The audacity he has t-to be-" Sarada cut herself off right there, her mind reeling, fishing for the words that she had wanted to say, only to pull the bait back up and catching absolutely nothing.

"To be-?" Chocho inquired, leaning towards her friend amusedly. Sarada gripped the ruffles of her dress squeezing them as if she was trying to squeeze the very essence out of the faux roses and allow the petals to scatter aimlessly all over the dressing room floor.

"I-I don't know. Geez, stop pestering me, Chocho!"

There it was. The top of her pot had boiled over-no, it had downright spiralled across the kitchen floor. Sarada exited the dressing room in a haste, unwilling to allow her friend to poke and prod her about her nonexistent love life. She would figure it out for herself!

* * *

 _'Sarada is taking a long time'_ , Boruto thought as he glanced up at the clock. From what he recalled from practice, it was abnormal for her to be unprepared by the time rehearsal commenced.

With Shino sensei's direction, Boruto had been positioned on stage for the first scene, but his co-star was still nowhere to be seen, even though she had dashed to her dressing her room a good twenty or so minutes ago. Girls sure took their time when it came to getting dressed.

"This is such a drag," Shikadai whined, tugging at the stiff collar of his dress shirt hidden beneath his thick, fur laden cape and golden threaded vest. "If my mom hadn't found out about this ridiculous play, I wouldn't have been in this."

"I wouldn't have been in this, either." Boruto proclaimed.

"If it wasn't for Sarada."

"Exactly-Wait what? No!" Their conversation was interrupted by Chocho's blaring voice.

"Come on, Sarada!" Chocho groaned, shoving her friend onstage. The stage fell silent for a brief moment before erupting into hushed murmurs, several cast members stealing glances at Sarada as she attempted to make her way across the stage.

Boruto was oblivious to Sarada's entrance, his eyes trained on his script as he skimmed over the lines they were going to rehearse for the first scene once more. Suddenly, Shikadai nudged Boruto's shoulder, and continued to do so until Boruto barked out a, _"Hey!"_

He knew something was up when the stage fell silent, but it wasn't until he finally heeded his friend's insistence for him to turn around that he knew what all the commotion was about.

Boruto's jaw dropped to the floor the moment he spun around to see the source of the reaction. It was Sarada, only she somehow managed to make herself even more beautiful than he already thought she was.

"Agh, this dress is a pain!" Sarada huffed, kicking the front of the dress so she'd have space under it to walk. Even with her annoyed demeanour, Boruto's jaw hung for a good minute until before he knew it, she was standing right in front of him.

"Sorry for being late, the dress didn't want to cooperate." Sarada patted the dress down in hopes that it wouldn't stick up too much, not noticing how Boruto's gaze was still fixated on her.

"Yeah." is all he said, dumbfounded. When Sarada's head tilted questioningly, he finally averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

"W-well, we're ready for practice!" he hollered while walking towards the edge of the stage, as far away from Sarada as possible so he could avoid being the robotic mess he was moments ago.

 _This was a problem_ , he thought, as he glanced back at his co-star who was reading over her script, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. _Even something that simple is glorified when she's dressed so lavishly_ , he noticed. Sure, he'd always thought of Sarada as _just Sarada_ for the longest time, but when she was pointed out as pretty by his classmates on one too many occasions, he started to realize that he'd been blind for far too long.

That didn't mean he loved her, though, of course.

Sarada's eyes flickered up from the script and Boruto swivelled his head to the front at a neck-breaking speed.

"Actually, could I talk to Boruto for a moment?" Sarada hollered from the stage, to which Shino-sensei nodded. Boruto tensed, having not a clue why Sarada wanted to talk to him in private. Even so, he followed her as she lifted her dress off the ground, probably muttering silent curses as they left. Some of the cast members ooed as the two walked off stage, to which Sarada gave a glare menacing enough for them to not do that ever again.

"I couldn't do it." she declared. Boruto narrowed his eyes, a million question marks dangling above his head. What did she mean?

"You couldn't do what?" he inquired, leaning ever so slightly towards his co-star as she began to speak so low that he couldn't understand a single word she was saying.

"What?" he leaned further in, wondering what on Earth this girl was muttering.

"I couldn't get the kissing scenes removed!" she blurted, her blush showing through her cheeks, not going unnoticed by the blond.

"Is that so? It's not a big deal, really." he insisted, but Sarada shook her head, folding her arms across her chest.

"It is for me," she admitted, but he didn't understand what she was getting at.

"How so?"

"I-I," she began, hesitant to reveal what she didn't want her co-star to know. "I-It's," she fumbled, biting her lip before she stared resolutely towards him. "Gah! I haven't had my first kiss yet!" she confessed, letting it sink in for him. She covered her face, embarrassed that her friend would now have something to tease her about.

Only, she was not expecting him to erupt in a fit of laughter to this extent.

"Really, _that's it_ , Sarada?" he held his stomach, trying to prevent himself from laughing even more. Sarada's cheeks puffed out, clenching her fists as she witnessed Boruto's unwarranted reaction.

"It's not funny!" she huffed, but he continued his overdramatic display as he began to roll on the floor from laughing so much. Did she really have to deal with a guy this dramatic?

"No, it really is." he insisted, whipping tears from his eyes from laughing so much. Eventually, he calmed down. Sarada couldn't believe his little display of mockery.

"Sarada," he started, her eyes trained on his jovial expression. "It's fine. I haven't had my first kiss, either." he finally voiced, to which Sarada furrowed her brows. Really? Well, she guessed you can't judge a book by its cover. No matter how extroverted one may be, it all boiled down to just how eager one is to get into a relationship.

"That still doesn't solve our predicament, though," Sarada mentioned, still for some reason having her script on hand as she opened it up. "We still have to kiss."

Boruto leaned back and looked up, tilting his head as his lips pressed into a firm line. He sat there contemplating for a moment. Sarada stood there, tapping her foot, anticipating that he would come up with a solution.

"Well then, shall we?"

Oh boy. That was _not_ the response she expected.

"W-w-what? No! Of course not!" Sarada sputtered, making an 'x' in front of her face as Boruto stood up. "No, we are _not_ doing that!" she protested, inching her protective x closer to her face as he approached.

Sarada wouldn't falter. Was this guy really thinking about kissing her? That's ridiculous!

Sarada clenched her eyes shut, sensing a shadow looming over her as she held her ground. She _never_ expected Boruto to be this forward and honestly, she was disappointed. However, suddenly, she felt a hand on her head that pat it gently. Gradually, she lowered her arms, opening her eyes and maintaining eye contact with the head patter.

"Who knew you could be cute sometimes, Sarada." he grinned. Even though it seemed like a half-baked compliment, Sarada's eyes widened in awe at his statement. Then, realization dawned on him as his eyes, in turn, went wide, lifting his hand off her head in one swift motion.

"W-we should return." Boruto jerked his thumb in the direction towards the stage, to which Sarada silently agreed. Unsurprisingly, several people had been peering their noses into their business and it didn't go unnoticed as heads poked back. Mitsuki, on the other hand, still stuck his head out unabashedly, a smile encompassing his entire being.

If there was one thing that Boruto came to know, it was that her brick wall was beginning to wobble, bound to topple over soon enough.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in almost a year, life has been busy since I graduated high school and started university. I was really struggling to write this chapter, but I finally managed to pull through! I swore I wouldn't start any more fanfiction until I get this one done so I'll try my best to get this fic done soon.**


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